Comments Off on BAS breaks ground on energy-efficient Discovery Building to study climate change in Antarctica

To establish Britain as a world leader in the fight against climate change, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has broken ground on the new Discovery Building at Rothera Research Station, its largest facility for ongoing climate-related research in Antarctica. Designed by Hugh Broughton Architects (HBA) as part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Partnership, the new operations building and ongoing modernization efforts will follow a bespoke BREEAM accreditation and assessment system to ensure that the upgraded facility meets the highest environmental standards. Located on a rocky promontory at the southern extremity of Adelaide Island, the Rothera Research Station has operated year-round since its opening in 1975 and serves as a major logistics center for all BAS operations on the continent. The new cutting-edge facility — named The Discovery Building to commemorate the discovery of Antarctica in 1820 by the British naval officer Edward Bransfield — will consolidate the existing facility by replacing a series of scattered buildings that are too outdated or costly to maintain. Spanning an area of 4,500 square meters, the two-story building will comprise preparation areas for field expeditions, a central store, medical facility, offices, recreational spaces, workshops and areas for plant. Related: Antarctica reaches record high temperature To minimize environmental impact, The Discovery Building will feature an energy-efficient, aerodynamic design oriented into the prevailing wind. A snow and wind deflector — the largest of its kind in Antarctica — will channel air at higher speeds down the leeward face to minimize snow accumulation. The exterior composite insulated metal panels will be tinted a pale blue in reference to the Antarctic sky and to minimize impacts of degradation from high levels of UV. Triple glazing will let in natural light while ensuring an airtight envelope. Health and wellness for field staff is also considered in the design. Vibrant colors, transparent glazed screens between spaces and access to natural light will help mitigate the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the long, dark Antarctic winters. Open-plan workspaces and break-out areas will help foster collaboration. The Discovery Building is expected to finish construction in 2023. The project was designed with BAM Nuttall Ltd and its team, design consultants Sweco, Hugh Broughton Architects as well as with Ramboll acting as BAS’s Technical Advisers and with its team Norr and Turner & Townsend. + Hugh Broughton Architects Images via Hugh Broughton Architects

Comments Off on This one simple cellphone trick could save enough CO2 to power Singapore for a year

The average mobile made this year produced 35 kg of carbon emissions to manufacture, equal to 16 weeks of laundry. Sound small? Consider that 1.9 billion mobiles will be sold in 2015, approximately 60 per second. Their total carbon footprint in manufacture is equal to Austria’s annual carbon footprint. All of us can help reduce the impact of mobiles with one simple step: simply use them for longer. If we used every phone manufactured this year for only 1/3 longer, we could prevent carbon emissions equal to Singapore’s annual emissions. Read the rest of This one simple cellphone trick could save enough CO2 to power Singapore for a year

Comments Off on Take a tour of this professional snowboarder’s innovative off-grid cabin

Click here to view the embedded video. Mike Basich was one of the early innovators in professional snowboarding, and now he’s leading the way in stylish off-grid living. On his 40 acres of land near Truckee, California, Basich has built himself an incredible 250-square-foot off-grid cabin – almost exclusively from materials he found on his own property. Check out the video above from “Going Off Grid,” to get the webseries’ visual take on Basich’s unique cabin and way of life. Read the rest of Take a tour of this professional snowboarder’s innovative off-grid cabin Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: legendary snowboarder’s off-grid cabin , mike basich builds his own off-grid cabin , off-grid cabin designed by golden ratio , off-grid cabin made with salvaged materials , snowboarder off-grid cabin

Comments Off on Giant reservoir of molten magma discovered under Yellowstone National Park

Click here to view the embedded video. A new report has revealed the underground workings of the Yellowstone National Park volcanic system – and in the process unveiled new details of how one of the world’s largest volcanoes could catastrophically erupt on a scale never-before seen by humanity. According to the Washington Post , an eruption in Yellowstone would eject 1,000 times as much material as Mt. St. Helens did in 1980, creating a disaster of global scale. Needless to say, scientists have been busy studying the inner workings of Yosemite’s volcanic system and a new study from the University of Utah now shows a complete diagram of Yellowstone’s system that reveals some stunning details that show how massive the eruption could actually be. Read the rest of Giant reservoir of molten magma discovered under Yellowstone National Park Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: castastrophic volcanic eruption , new study yellowstone volcano , yellowstone geology , yellowstone volcanic eruption , yellowstone volcano could erupt

Comments Off on Can Pope Francis halt climate change with new papal document?

Can Pope Francis do what environmental movements like Earth Day and Greenpeace have failed to do—save the planet from human beings? Some pundits believe so. In early summer, Pope Francis is expected to release an historic document detailing the moral imperative to care for the Earth. Called an encyclical, the papal document is designed to convince the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics and others that climate change is a real and present danger that humanity can help to prevent. What remains unclear, the Washington Post rightly points out, is how the pope plans to make the case without disturbing the long-held Catholic view of God’s omnipotence. Read the rest of Can Pope Francis halt climate change with new papal document? Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: catholic church , catholics , Climate Change , climate change agreement , COP 21 , encyclical , environmental ethics , global warming , historic document , integral ecology , morals , Paris , Pope Francis , religion and environment , theology